Mario Kart 8‘s first two DLC packs will cost you $8 each, and will be released this November and next May respectively.
Ever since we saw that bizarre Mercedes Benz/Mario Kart promo, we knew that further DLC for Mario Kart 8 was inevitable, and now, Nintendo has raised the curtain on two upcoming “Add-on Content” packs for the game. The first pack has a Zelda theme, and the second is based on Animal Crossing (though they will both contain some additional Mario universe content). The two packs will release in November 2014, and May, 2015 respectively, and will cost $8 a piece (or $12 if purchased together).
Meanwhile, that Mercedes Benz GLA kart, along with two additional karts (the W25 Silver Arrow and the 300 SL Roadster) will be made available for all users as a free download on August 27, as part of an update to the game. August 27 is also when pre-purchases will open up for the two paid packs, and players who buy the packs before they are released will receive 8 bonus color swap skins for Yoshi and Shy Guy, which they will be able to use straight away.
The Zelda pack contains three additional drivers – Link, Tankooki Mario and Cat Peach – along with four new karts, and two cups (one Zelda-themed, one Yoshi themed), each containing four tracks. Meanwhile, the Animal Crossing pack contains the Villager, Isable and Dry Bones Bowser as new racers, an additional four new karts, an Animal Crossing-themed cup, and a Mario-themed cup.
Both packs combined require more than 2.0 GB of storage space, so those of you running low on storage space may need to get yourself an external hard drive.
Source: Nintendo
